System for planning the planting and growing of plants

ABSTRACT

A method for generating a plan facilitating users to plant, grow, harvest and maintain selected plant varieties includes receiving, via at least one processor, user input corresponding to at least one of: the selected plant varieties, desired servings of the selected plant varieties, geographic information for the user and available gardening hardware. The method includes determining, via the at least one processor, quantities of the selected plant varieties to plant, a location layout for planting each of the selected plant varieties and plant care tasks associated with each of the selected plant varieties. The method also includes graphically presenting, via the at least one processor, the location layout and the plant care tasks associated with each of the selected plant varieties to the user.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a non-provisional application of pending U.S.Provisional Patent Application 61/272,163, filed on Aug. 25, 2009, thedisclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to generating garden plans. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and method forfacilitating the planning, planting, growing and maintaining of plantsin a garden, for a number of plant varieties.

2. Background Information

Gardeners gardening plants in gardens typically rely on years ofexperience in determining varieties of plants to plant, quantities ofplants to plant, locations at which to plant and time periods duringwhich to sow seeds, transplant seedlings, and harvest fruits, vegetablesand herbs. However, amateur gardeners are typically unaware of optimaltimeframes for planting seeds and transplanting seedlings whenconsidering germination, growth and harvest temperature requirements foreach plant variety. Amateur gardeners are typically unaware as to how toextend a harvest throughout a growing season by planting successiveplantings of various plant varieties. Further, amateur gardeners may beunaware of important techniques for protecting the health of a garden,including planting methods in which plant varieties of the same plantfamily are not planted in the same location during consecutive harvestseasons (i.e., in order to prevent pest infestation and disease), andplanting methods in which plant varieties are optimally placed to takeadvantage of positive co-planting plant varieties and reduce adverseimpacts of negative co-planting plant varieties. Moreover, gardeners maybe unaware as to a number of plants to plant in order to obtain adesired harvest quantity.

In view of the above, gardeners are not able to optimize gardeningvariables while accounting for fixed gardening values. That is,gardeners are unable to produce an optimal harvest by selecting plantingquantities, planting dates and planting locations, while constrained byclimate, garden size and garden hardware and plant varieties.Additionally, gardeners are unable to make real-time recalculations andupdates to a garden plan, and efficiently maintain records of plantingsfrom season to season that may be necessary to optimize the garden plan.

Even if gardeners rely on their experience in planting plants anddetermining when to harvest plants and how much to harvest, gardenersmay forget when to harvest a plant variety and where to plant the plantvariety in a subsequent harvest season.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method forgenerating a plan facilitating users to plant, grow, harvest andmaintain selected plant varieties, includes receiving, via at least oneprocessor, user input corresponding to at least one of: the selectedplant varieties, desired servings of the selected plant varieties,geographic information for the user and available gardening hardware.The method includes determining, via the at least one processor,quantities of the selected plant varieties to plant, a location layoutfor planting each of the selected plant varieties and plant care tasksassociated with each of the selected plant varieties. The method alsoincludes graphically presenting, via the at least one processor, thelocation layout and the plant care tasks associated with each of theselected plant varieties to the user.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the geographicinformation includes at least one of: a postal code, a latitude, alongitude and a mailing address.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodincludes retrieving frost dates based on the geographic information.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, thequantities of the selected plant varieties account for an estimated losspercentage.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the estimated losspercentage is estimated based on weather, loss due to pests and loss dueto plant disease.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodincludes displaying a plurality of plant varieties to the user, fromwhich the selected plant varieties are chosen, the plurality of plantvarieties being chosen based on the geographic information and a currentdate.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodincludes calculating a frequency for succession plantings over a currentharvest period.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodincludes obtaining information related to whether the user is willing totransplant plants from indoor to outdoor.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the layout is based atleast one of: a determination of which plant varieties to plantproximate to one another, a determination of which plant varieties toplant distant from one another, trellis requirements for each of theselected plant varieties, height of each of the selected plantvarieties, water requirements for each of the selected plant varietiesand sunlight requirements for each of the selected plant varieties.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodincludes presenting the user with an option to purchase additionalgardening hardware when gardening hardware requirements for producingthe desired servings of the selected plant varieties exceed theavailable gardening hardware.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, dates forsuccession plantings and a frequency of succession plantings are basedon season window and the season window is based on an earliest plantingdate, a latest maturity date and a calculated number of available growthdays.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, the plantcare tasks include at least one of: planting seeds outdoors, planting aplant from nursery stock, planting a plant grown from seeds sownindoors, harvesting plants, watering plants and pruning plants.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the method includesdisplaying the plant care tasks according to dates on which the plantcare tasks are to be performed.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, planting datesfor planting the selected plant varieties are determined based on: frosthardiness, current harvest season and whether planting from seed,planting from nursery stock or planting from seeds sown indoors.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodincludes the layout is based on a planting square division of a gardenbed.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, arepresentation of a quantity of sunlight and a representation of aquantity of shade is displayed for each planting square of the gardenbed.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the method includesthe user is enabled to at least one of: assign and edit therepresentation of the quantity of sunlight and the representation of thequantity of shade for each planting square of the garden bed.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodincludes modifying the plan when one of the plant care tasks is notperformed on a date on which the plant care task is to be performed.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the plantingdates are further based on air temperatures for at least one of: seedgermination date and frost dates.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, arecommended garden bed size is presented to the user based on thedesired servings of the selected plant varieties.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, plant seed catalogsfrom a plurality of vendors are supported.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the user isenabled to purchase seeds for at least one of the selected plantvarieties via a website interface.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the user isenabled to manually enter a desired plant variety.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodincludes archiving plans for at least one prior harvest season todetermine whether crop cycling at a location is to be implemented.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a system forgenerating a plan facilitating users to plant, grow, harvest andmaintain selected plant varieties includes a receiver that receives userinput corresponding to at least one of: the selected plant varieties,desired servings of the selected plant varieties, geographic informationfor the user and available gardening hardware. The system includes adeterminer that determines quantities of the selected plant varieties toplant, a location layout for planting each of the selected plantvarieties and plant care tasks associated with each of the selectedplant varieties. The system includes a presenter that graphicallypresents the location layout and the plant care tasks associated witheach of the selected plant varieties to the user.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory,tangible computer readable medium for generating a plan facilitatingusers to plant, grow, harvest and maintain selected plant varietiesincludes a receiving code segment, recorded on the tangible computerreadable medium, that receives user input corresponding to at least oneof: the selected plant varieties, desired servings of the selected plantvarieties, geographic information for the user and available gardeninghardware. The computer readable medium includes a determining codesegment, recorded on the tangible computer readable medium, thatdetermines quantities of the selected plant varieties to plant, alocation layout for planting each of the selected plant varieties andplant care tasks associated with each of the selected plant varieties.The computer readable medium includes a presenting code segment,recorded on the tangible computer readable medium, that graphicallypresents the location layout and the plant care tasks associated witheach of the selected plant varieties to the user.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a harvestseason associated with the plan is defined by either a time period ofincreasing temperature that excludes short-term directional changes intemperature or a time period of decreasing temperature that excludesshort-term directional changes in temperature.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, the user isenabled to manually edit a supported plant variety.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the location layout isbased on an orientation of a garden bed associated with the plan.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the orientationof the garden bed is specified by the user based on at least one of:graphically presented directional arrows and a geographic reference, andthe geographic reference comprises at least one of: a north, south,east, west, sunrise and sunset direction.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, thepresenting code segment further presents harvest instructions for eachof the selected plant varieties.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, the harvestinstructions are based on a harvest interval for each of the selectedplant varieties.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the method the harvestinterval specifies a frequency of harvesting.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the layout locationfor each of the selected plant varieties is specified based on at leastone planting square in the garden bed.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, at least oneplanting square in the garden bed is evaluated to determine the locationlayout for each of the selected plant varieties.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the at leastone planting square is evaluated based on whether plants planted in theat least one planting square during a predetermined time period aremembers of a common taxonomy family with at least one of the selectedplant varieties.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, the atleast one planting square is evaluated based on crop rotation.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method forgenerating a plan facilitating users to plant, grow, harvest andmaintain selected plant varieties includes determining, by at least oneprocessor, a level of suitability of a specified planting method for aspecified plant variety based on at least one of: whether the specifiedplant variety is transplantable, whether a user is willing to plantseeds indoors for the specified plant variety and a season window forthe specified planting method. The specified planting method comprisesat least one of planting seeds indoors, planting nursery stock, plantingseeds outdoors.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the season windowis a range of dates specifying a subset of a harvest season during whichconditions are attained such that at least one plant of the specifiedplant variety grows.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the seasonwindow is adjusted based on at least one of: germination temperaturerequirements for the specified plant variety, growth temperaturerequirements for the specified plant variety, frost conditions for auser location and sunlight conditions for the user location.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, the seasonwindow is adjusted further based on a suitability requirement defined bythe user.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the suitabilityrequirement specifies at least one of: a time period in the seasonwindow and a percentage of the season window during which airtemperatures are within a tolerable range for supporting plant growthfor the specified plant variety.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodincludes determining, by the at least one processor, whether a plantcategory associated with the specified plant variety is an onioncategory, determining, by the at least one processor, whether a userlocation is located between a lower limit latitude and an upper limitlatitude when the plant category is the onion category and determining,by the at least one processor, that the specified planting method is notsuitable based on the user location.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the level ofsuitability of the specified planting method is a binary determination.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, the levelof suitability of the specified planting method is specifiable as one ofat least three levels of suitability.

Other exemplary embodiments and advantages of the present invention maybe ascertained by reviewing the present disclosure and the accompanyingdrawings, and the above description should not be considered to limitthe scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is further described in the detailed descriptionwhich follows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings, by wayof non-limiting examples of the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, in which like characters represent elements throughout theseveral views of the drawings, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary general computer system that includes a set ofinstructions for generating, maintaining, re-calculating and archiving agarden plan, as described herein;

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary process flow diagram for obtaining user inputfor generating a garden plan, according to an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary process flow diagram for obtaining climatedata and determining climate information, according to an aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 4A shows an exemplary process flow diagram for determining thesuitability of a plant variety, according to an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4B shows an exemplary process flow diagram for determining a seasonwindow for the plant variety when using a planting seeds outdoorsplanting method, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4C shows an exemplary process flow diagram for determining thesuitability of the planting seeds outdoors planting method for the plantvariety, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4D shows an exemplary process flow diagram for determining a seasonwindow for the plant variety when using a planting seeds indoorsplanting method, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4E shows an exemplary process flow diagram for determining thesuitability of the planting seeds indoors planting method for the plantvariety, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4F shows an exemplary process flow diagram for determining a seasonwindow for the plant variety when using a planting nursery stockplanting method, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4G shows an exemplary process flow diagram for determining thesuitability of the planting nursery stock planting method for the plantvariety, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5A shows an exemplary process flow diagram for adjusting the seasonwindow based on frost conditions, according to an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 5B shows an exemplary process flow diagram for adjusting the seasonwindow based on sunlight conditions, according to an aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5C shows an exemplary process flow diagram for adjusting the seasonwindow based on germination temperature requirements, according to anaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5D shows an exemplary process flow diagram for adjusting the seasonwindow based on growth temperature requirements, according to an aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 5E shows an exemplary process flow diagram for adjusting the seasonwindow based on suitability requirements, according to an aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6A shows an exemplary flow diagram for defining garden bedhardware, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6B shows an exemplary flow diagram for defining trellis hardware,according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 shows another exemplary process flow diagram for generating thegarden plan, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8A shows an exemplary flow diagram for evaluating the suitabilityof a planting, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8B shows an exemplary flow diagram for selecting an order ofplanting squares when placing plants in garden beds located in thenorthern hemisphere, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8C shows an exemplary flow diagram for selecting an order ofplanting squares when place plants in garden beds located in thesouthern hemisphere, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8D shows an exemplary process for placing plantings in garden beds,according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9A shows an exemplary weekly task list for the garden plan,according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9B shows an exemplary garden layout for the garden plan, accordingto an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9C shows an exemplary harvest timeline for the garden plan,according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9D shows an exemplary garden journal planting record for the gardenplan, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9E shows an exemplary garden journal maintenance record for thegarden plan, according to an aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9F shows an exemplary garden journal harvest record for the gardenplan, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In view of the foregoing, the present disclosure, through one or more ofits various aspects, embodiments, and/or specific features orsub-components is thus intended to bring out one or more of theadvantages as specifically noted below.

The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes ofillustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present disclosureonly and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to bethe most useful and readily understood description of the principles andconceptual aspects of the present disclosure. In this regard, no attemptis made to show structural details of the present disclosure in moredetail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of thepresent disclosure, the description taken with the drawings makingapparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of thepresent disclosure may be embodied in practice.

Other exemplary embodiments and advantages of the present invention maybe ascertained by reviewing the present disclosure and the accompanyingdrawings, and the above description should not be considered to limitthe scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is an illustrative embodiment of a general computer system thatincludes a set of instructions for generating a garden plan as describedherein. The general computer system is shown and is designated 100. Thecomputer system 100 can include a set of instructions that can beexecuted to cause the computer system 100 to perform any one or more ofthe methods or computer based functions disclosed herein. The computersystem 100 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected, forexample, using a network 101, to other computer systems or peripheraldevices. For example, the computer system 100 may include or be includedwithin any one or more of the computers, servers, systems, orcommunication networks described herein.

In a networked deployment, the computer system may operate in thecapacity of a server or as a client user computer in a server-clientuser network environment, or as a peer computer system in a peer-to-peer(or distributed) network environment. The computer system 100, orportions thereof, can also be implemented as or incorporated intovarious devices, such as a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, aset-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile device,a palmtop computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, acommunications device, a wireless telephone, a personal trusted device,a web appliance, or any other machine capable of executing a set ofinstructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be takenby that machine. In a embodiment, the computer system 100 can beimplemented using electronic devices that provide voice, video or datacommunication. Further, while a single computer system 100 isillustrated, the term “system” shall also be taken to include anycollection of systems or sub-systems that individually or jointlyexecute a set, or multiple sets, of instructions to perform one or morecomputer functions.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the computer system 100 may include aprocessor 110, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphicsprocessing unit (GPU), or both. Moreover, the computer system 100 caninclude a main memory 120 and a static memory 130 that can communicatewith each other via a bus 108. As shown, the computer system 100 mayfurther include a video display unit 150, such as a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a flat paneldisplay, a solid state display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT).Additionally, the computer system 100 may include an alpha-numeric inputdevice 160, such as a keyboard, another input device (not shown), suchas a remote control device having a wireless keypad, a keyboard, amicrophone coupled to a speech recognition engine, a camera such as avideo camera or still camera, and a cursor control device 170, such as amouse. The computer system 100 can also include a disk drive unit 180, asignal generation device 190, such as a speaker or remote control, and anetwork interface device 140.

In a particular embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 1, the disk drive unit180 may include a computer-readable medium 182 in which one or more setsof instructions 184, e.g. software, can be embedded. A computer-readablemedium 182 is a tangible article of manufacture, from which sets ofinstructions 184 can be read. Further, the instructions 184 may embodyone or more of the methods or logic as described herein. In aembodiment, the instructions 184 may reside completely, or at leastpartially, within the main memory 120, the static memory 130, and/orwithin the processor 110 during execution by the computer system 100.The main memory 120 and the processor 110 also may includecomputer-readable media.

In an alternative embodiment, dedicated hardware implementations, suchas application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arraysand other hardware devices, can be constructed to implement one or moreof the methods described herein. Applications that may include theapparatus and systems of various embodiments can broadly include avariety of electronic and computer systems. One or more embodimentsdescribed herein may implement functions using two or more specificinterconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and datasignals that can be communicated between and through the modules, or asportions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Accordingly, thepresent system encompasses software, firmware, and hardwareimplementations, or combinations thereof.

The software may be embedded software that is embedded into a hardwaredevice. For example, embedded software may be embedded into automotive,telecommunications and audio visual devices. Embedded software may bewritten for special-purpose hardware (e.g., integrated circuit chips,microprocessors). The special-purpose hardware may be used inconjunction with any of the following, but not limited to: robots,appliances, toys, security systems, pacemakers, televisions and digitalwatches. As will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, thespecial-purpose hardware upon which the embedded software is implementedcan be any number of devices that are distinct from a general purposepersonal computing device (e.g., a PC).

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein may be implemented by software programsexecutable by a computer system. Further, in an exemplary, non-limitedembodiment, implementations can include distributed processing,component/object distributed processing, and parallel processing.Alternatively, virtual computer system processing can be constructed toimplement one or more of the methods or functionality as describedherein.

The present disclosure contemplates a computer-readable medium 182 thatincludes instructions 184 or receives and executes instructions 184responsive to a propagated signal, so that a device connected to anetwork 101 can communicate voice, video or data over the network 101.Further, the instructions 184 may be transmitted or received over thenetwork 101 via the network interface device 140.

According to a non-limiting aspect of the present disclosure, planningand maintenance of a user garden may be facilitated by planning softwarethat generates one or more of the following: a garden plan; amaintenance plan and a harvest plan. The planning software also includesa comprehensive list of garden hardware (e.g., garden beds, trellises,watering systems, and greenhouses necessary to implement the gardenplan) and in another non-limiting embodiment, determines a set gardenhardware required to implement the garden plan. The planning softwarealso includes: a seed catalog corresponding to a seed inventory; anInternet-based user forum; a vendor directory of gardening vendors; andan Internet-based knowledge library. The planning software assists auser to determine types of plantings, as well as quantities, locationsand timings for planting the same. The planning software also assiststhe user to maintain and harvest a garden corresponding to the gardeningplan. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, theInternet-based user forum allows users to share tips and tricks, as wellas garden images. According to yet another aspect of the presentdisclosure, the Internet-based knowledge library includes images andinstructional videos pertaining to supported plant varieties. Accordingto still another aspect of the present disclosure, the vendor directoryof gardening vendors includes vendor profiles and contact informationfor venders selling garden hardware, soil remediation products and othergardening tools and services.

The planning software is installable on at least one web serveraccessible over the Internet. In an alternative embodiment, the planningsoftware is installable on at least one mobile or at-home computingdevice. As will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, theplanning software and various methods described herein are implementableon any tangible physical hardware device upon which a softwareapplication is implementable or upon which a set of computerinstructions are executable. For example, a tangible physical hardwaredevice is any of the following, but not limited to: a processor, anetwork element, a server, a computing device, a physical storage and aphysical memory. Additionally, as will also be understood by one ofordinary skill in the art, the planning software and various methodsdescribed herein are implementable on one or more tangible physicalhardware device.

Table 1 illustrates planting variables, planting data and relateddescriptions, as well as information relating to a plant variety. Theplanting variables are used, by the planning software, to generate andoptimize a garden plan, based on the user's desires and constraints, aswill be discussed in further detail hereinbelow.

TABLE 1 illustrates planting variables, description and informationrelating to each plant variety Planting Variable and Planting DataDescription Category a category of plant that logically groups plantstogether Plant Name a common name for the plant Description a detaileddescription of the plant, including heritage and history Plantinginstructions instructions on how to plant text Maintenance instructionson plant care during a growth period instructions text Harvestinstructions instructions on how to harvest, including any warning textconditions (e.g., harvest before flowers appear) Veg/Herb identifieswhether the plant is a vegetable or herb Family a scientific taxonomyfor plants Genus a scientific taxonomy for plants Species a scientifictaxonomy for plants Variety a scientific taxonomy for plants Annual orPerennial a variable specifying whether the plant is grown as an annualor perennial Trellised a variable specifying whether the plant requiresa trellis Harvest Method a classification describing a harvest behaviorof the plant variety; options include:  harvest-till-temperature (HTT) range harvest (RH)  single harvest (SH) Harvest Duration a maximumnumber of days that the plant can continue to produce a harvest(HARVEST_(DURATION)). Harvest Interval a number of days betweenharvests; for example:  plants requiring a daily harvest have a harvestinterval of 1  plants requiring harvest every other day have a harvestinterval of 2  plants requiring harvest every 3 days have a harvestinterval of 3  plants requiring a weekly harvest have a harvest intervalof 7 Maximum Servings a total number of servings produced during aharvest season (S_(MAX)) Servings per Harvest a number of servingsproduced by an average single harvest in a harvest phase (S_(H)) ServingSize a size (e.g., 1 cup) of a serving (S) Planting Depth a depth that aseed is placed during planting Seed Spacing a recommended spacingbetween planting seeds after thinning (SP_(S)) Squares per Plant anumber of planting squares required by the plant variety (SPP);calculated as follows:  SPP = 9 when 24 inches < SP_(S) ≦ 36 inches  SPP= 2 when 12 inches < SP_(S) ≦ 24 inches  SPP = 1 when SP_(S) ≦ 12 inchesPlants per Square a number of plants that can fit in a single square(PPS); calculated as follows:  PPS =16 when SP_(S) < 3 inches  PPS = 9when 3 inches < SP_(S) ≦ 4 inches  PPS = 4 when 4 inches < SP_(S) ≦ 6inches  PPS = 1 when SP_(S) > 6 inches Transplantable a variablespecifying whether the plant variety tolerates being transplantedPreferred Planting a method of planting preferred (PPM) by the user,either direct Method sow or transplant Days to Transplant a number ofdays from a seed planting date to a date when the plant is transplantedoutside (D_(TRANSPLANT)) Co-Planting Material other products necessaryto support growth of the plant (e.g., inoculating powder required forbeans) Low Soil Temperature a low range of soil temperature to enablegermination (T_(SOIL, LOW)) High Soil a high range of soil temperatureto enable germination (T_(SOIL, HIGH)) Temperature Low Air Temperaturean air temperature boundary below which the plant will fail to thrive(T_(AIR, LOW)) High Air Temperature an air temperature boundary abovewhich the plant will fail to thrive (T_(AIR, HIGH)) Low Harvest an airtemperature boundary below which the plant will fail to Temperatureproduce a harvest (T_(HARVEST, LOW)); applies to plants using the HTTharvest method High Harvest an air temperature boundary above which theplant will fail to Temperature produce a harvest (T_(HARVEST, HIGH));applies to plants using the HTT harvest method. Frost Hardiness atolerance of the plant to frost  Low: a single frost will kill the plant(FH_(LOW))  Moderate: the plant can tolerate periodic light frosts(FH_(MED))  High: frost will not hurt the plant (FH_(HIGH)) Days toGermination a low range of days to germination (D_(GERM, LOW)) Low Daysto Germination a high range of days to germination (D_(GERM, HIGH)) HighDays to Maturity Low a low range of days to maturity, specified from theseed planting date and not the germination date (D_(MATURITY, LOW)) Daysto Maturity High a high range of days to maturity, specified from theseed planting date and not the germination date (D_(MATURITY, HIGH))Latitude Low for onions, a minimum latitude that the plant can tolerate(LAT_(LOW)) Latitude High for onions, a maximum latitude that the plantcan tolerate (LAT_(HIGH)) Sun a quantity of sun required by the plant Shade (SUN_(SHADE))  Partial Shade to Full Sun (SUN_(PSHADE, FS))  FullSun (SUN_(FS)) Minimum Daylight a minimum number of daylight hoursrequired in order for the Hours plant to thrive (H_(MIN)) Water aquantity of water required by the plant  Low to Moderate (W_(LOW)) Moderate to High (W_(HIGH)) Height Low a minimum height for the plant(H_(MIN)) Height High a maximum height for the plant (H_(MAX)) ProduceLength Low a low size (e.g., specified in inches) of produce produced bythe plant Produce Length High a high size (e.g., specified in inches) ofproduce produced by the plant Weight Low a low weight range of produceproduced by the plant Weight High a high weight range of produceproduced by the plant Cooking instructions a description of cookingmethods Pest reference images of pests and commentary on prevention andtreatment Disease reference images of plant diseases and commentary ontreatment and prevention Good companions families or varieties of otherplants that promote the growth and development of the plant variety Badcompanions families or varieties of plants that inhibit or prohibit thegrowth and development of the plant variety Images of the Plants imagesof plants at the following stages germination development of true leavesduring periods where maintenance is required to ensure growth atmaturity

The qualitative and quantitative values of some plant variables shown inTable 1 vary based on the harvest method for the plant variety. Plantvarieties having a Harvest-Till-Temperature (HTT) harvest method includeplants such as, for example, peas, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes, aswell as other plant varieties that grow and produce a harvest until theearlier of (D_(MATURITY, HIGH)+HARVEST_(DURATION)) and the date whichtemperatures exceed a range of tolerable harvest temperatures. Table 2illustrates planting variables and related descriptions pertaining toplant varieties having the Harvest-Till-Temperature harvest method.

TABLE 2 illustrates planting variables related to plant varieties havinga Harvest-Till-Temperature harvest method Planting Variables DescriptionExpected Servings per Week a number of servings per week expected to beproduced by a plant variety during a harvest period; calculated for HTTplant varieties as:  S_(MAX)/(HARVEST_(DURATION)) * (1/7.0) SuccessionPlanting Frequency a number of days between successive plantings of thesame plant variety (S_(FREQ)); for HTT plant varieties is calculated as: S_(FREQ) = HARVEST_(DURATION)

Plant varieties having a Range Harvest (RH) harvesting method produce aharvest for a specified number of days after a days to maturity date. Akey distinction between the Harvest-Till-Temperature harvesting methodand the Range Harvest harvesting method is that with respect to theformer, one factor causing the harvest to terminate is temperature. Withrespect to the latter, the sole factor causing the harvest to terminateis time (i.e., an elapsed number of days). Plant varieties having aRange Harvest harvesting method are still subject to temperature limits(e.g., due to a susceptibility of the plant variety to frost). However,regardless of whether temperature limits have been exceeded, a harvestfor a plant variety having a Range Harvest harvesting method terminatesupon completion of a specified harvest time period. Table 3 illustratesplant variables and related descriptions pertaining to plant varietieshaving the Range Harvest harvesting method.

TABLE 3 illustrates planting variables related to plants having a RangeHarvest method Planting Variable Description Expected Servings per Weeka number of Expected Servings per Week is calculated for plant varietieshaving an RH harvesting method as:  S_(MAX)/(HARVEST_(DURATION)/7.0)Succession Planting Frequency a Succession Planting Frequency (S_(FREQ))for RH plant varieties (S_(FREQ)); for RH plant varieties is calculatedas:  S_(FREQ) = HARVEST_(DURATION)

Plant varieties having the Single Harvest method produce a singleharvest at maturity for each seed planting (e.g., carrots and beets).Table 4 illustrates planting variables and related descriptionspertaining to plant varieties having the Single Harvest harvestingmethod.

TABLE 4 illustrates planting variables related to plants having a SingleHarvest method Planting Variable Description Expected Servings per WeekExpected Servings per Week for SH plant varieties is set to equalS_(MAX) Succession Planting Frequency Succession Planting Frequency(S_(FREQ)) for SH plant varieties is set to equal to 7 days, since theRequired Plantings is based on a weekly requirement.

The planning software generates garden plans for each harvest season(e.g., spring/summer and fall/winter). Ignoring short-term directionalchanges in temperature, spring/summer is a time period of increasingtemperatures and fall/winter is a time period of decreasingtemperatures. A garden plan is generated for a specific harvest season,such as Spring/Summer 2009, or Fall 2009/Winter 2010. In one embodiment,data for a garden plan is presented in a table format. In anotherembodiment, instances of the garden plan are archived, insofar aschanges may occur that trigger a recalculation of the garden plan.Periodically, older versions of the garden plan are purged. In anotherembodiment, garden plans for a subsequent harvest season take intoconsideration any overflow from a prior harvest season. Overflow refersplants planted in a prior harvest season that remain in the groundduring a current harvest season. The garden plan is generated by takinginto account overflow plants such that available planting squares areallocated to newly planted plants. In another embodiment, overflowplants from a prior harvest season are not considered, in order topreferentially plant plants for the current harvest season.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a process flow diagram for obtaining customerinput for generating a garden plan is shown. In one embodiment, a useruses a sign-in account in order to store, access, retrieve and modifygarden plan data. In step S200, garden plan parameters are obtained fromthe user, including any of the following, but not limited to: a postalcode; a harvest season for which the garden plan is to be generated; aname for the garden plan; the earliest date the user is ready to plantseeds; an offset percentage used to calculate a number of seeds to plantin order to offset the risk of loss due to any of the following, but notlimited to: pests, disease and adverse weather conditions (LOSS %); avalue for a probability of occurrence for a last frost occurring on aspecified spring date for plant varieties with a low tolerance to frost(FROST %_(SPRING, LOW)); a value for a probability of occurrence for alast frost occurring on a specified spring date for plant varieties witha moderate tolerance to frost (FROST %_(SPRING, MODERATE)); a value fora probability of occurrence for a first frost occurring on a specifiedfall date for plant varieties with a low tolerance to frost (FROST%_(SFALL, LOW)); a value for a probability of occurrence for a firstfrost occurring on a specified fall date for plant varieties with amoderate tolerance to frost (FROST %_(FALL, MODERATE)); and a percentageof the growth period where air temperatures must remain within atolerable range for supporting plant growth (SUITABILITY%_(REQUIREMENT)).

As an example of the planting variables discussed above, if LOSS % isselected by the user as 20% and if the user wants 100 servings of aspecified plant variety during a harvest season or other predeterminedtime period, seeds or plants of a sufficient quantity are planted toproduce 120 servings of the specified plant variety. As will beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art, any variation of aharvest goal is specifiable by the user to determine a number of seeds,plants or transplants to plant, based on the LOSS %. As an example ofthe various FROST % variables discussed above, the user sets aprobability (e.g., 20%) that a frost will occur. The latest date onwhich the probability of frost is 20% (e.g., April 15^(th)) is used todetermine various planting and harvesting activities that will bediscussed in further detail, hereinbelow. As an example of SUITABILITY%_(REQUIREMENT), the user selects a percentage (e.g., 50%) thatindicates that half the days during the growth period for the plantvariety must have air temperatures that remain with the tolerable rangefor supporting plant growth.

In step S202, climate data is obtained. Referring now to FIG. 3, aprocess flow diagram for obtaining climate information is shown. Theuser's postal code is converted into a latitude and longitude address,and this address is used to locate a nearest weather monitoring stationfrom a list of weather monitoring stations maintained by the NationalClimactic Data Center (NCDC). In one embodiment, the user selects anearest weather monitoring station as the weather station to use forobtaining climate data for the garden plan. In another embodiment, theuser selects an alternative weather monitoring station from the nexttwo, or other predetermined number of, nearest weather monitoringstations. Once the weather monitoring station has been selected, normalclimate data for a year time period is obtained, including, but notlimited to: daily maximum, minimum, and mean temperatures; annualheating and cooling degree days; average monthly precipitation; a rangeof dates for the last spring frost based on probabilities of occurrence(e.g., ranging from 10% to 90%); and a range of dates for the first fallfrost based on probabilities of occurrence (e.g., ranging from 10% to90%). In one embodiment, air temperature is used as a best availableestimate for soil temperature insofar as germination temperature rangesare relatively broad. A hardiness zone is obtained from, for example, aUnited States Frost Zone map published by the U.S. Department ofAgriculture.

Referring back to FIG. 2, in step S204, the user is presented with themaximum, minimum, and mean temperature for each month based on theweather monitoring station selected in step S202. In one embodiment, theuser makes no adjustment to the temperatures. In another embodiment, theuser applies an adjustment value to one or more of the maximum, minimumand mean temperatures in order to raise or lower the daily temperaturesby the specified amount.

In step S206, the user is presented with a list of seed companies (i.e.,seed catalogs) that provide seeds available for purchase via theplanning software. The user selects one or more seed catalogs to includein the garden plan.

In step S208, the user is presented with an option to include theplanting seeds indoors planting method in the garden plan. This methodapplies to plants that are transplantable; in this method, seeds areplanted indoors and then transplanted outdoors to the garden once anumber of Days to Transplant (D_(TRANSPLANT)) has passed. In oneembodiment, the user chooses to include the planting seeds indoorsplanting method. In another embodiment, the user chooses to exclude theplanting seeds indoors planting method causing this method to beunavailable for use with the garden plan.

In step S210, the user is presented with a list of plant categories thatcontain plant varieties available for inclusion in the garden plan. Inone embodiment, the user selects one or more plant categories to includein the garden plan. In another embodiment, a category profile page forone or more plant categories is presented to the user and displaysinformation about the plant category including, but not limited to: adescription; history; nutritional information; common usages; typicalplant varieties; insects and diseases affecting the plant category; andgood and bad plant companions for the plant category.

In step S212, the user is presented with a list of plant varieties foreach plant category selected in S210. Each plant variety has beenevaluated for suitability for inclusion in the garden plan, which isdiscussed in further detail hereinbelow. Plant varieties are determinedto be suitable if the plant variety can tolerate the weather conditionsin the user's garden during the plant's germination, growth, and harvestphases. In one non-limiting embodiment, a rating is generated for eachof the plant varieties selected by the user. The rating specifies adegree of suitability of the plant with respect to weather conditions atthe user location and various other user-related factors. In anothernon-limiting embodiment, the rating specifies the selected plant varietyto be “good”, “fair” or “poor”. As will be understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art, any number of levels of ratings may be used. Plantvarieties that cannot tolerate these weather conditions are determinedto be unsuitable. Unsuitable plant varieties are marked and excluded asoptions selectable by the user for inclusion in the garden plan. Thesuitability of a plant variety also depends on the applicability ofplanting methods to the plant variety. If at least one planting methodis applicable to the plant variety, then the plant variety is suitablefor use in the garden plan. If no planting methods are applicable to theplant variety, then the plant variety is not suitable for use in thegarden plan.

Referring now to FIG. 4A, an exemplary process for determining thesuitability of a selected plant variety is shown. In step S400, atransplantable plant variable is checked to determine if the plantvariety is transplantable. If the plant variety is not transplantable,then the process continues to step S412, in which a season window (i.e.,the range of dates during which the plant variety can survive) iscalculated under an assumption the plant variety is planted using theplanting seeds outdoors planting method. The planting seeds outdoorsplanting method indicates that seeds are planted outdoors, directly inthe garden, which is discussed in further detail in FIG. 4B. In stepS414, the suitability of the planting seeds outdoors planting method isdetermined, and is presented in detail in FIG. 4C. If the plantingmethod is suitable, then the plant variety is deemed to be suitable andthe planting seeds outdoors planting method is selectable as theplanting method for the plant variety. If the planting method is notsuitable, then the plant variety is deemed to be unsuitable for use inthe garden plan.

Referring back to step S400, if the plant variety is transplantable,then in step S402, a determination is made as to whether the user iswilling to use the planting seeds indoors planting method by checkingthe user's input to step S208 on FIG. 2. If the user is not willing touse the planting seeds indoors planting method, then the processcontinues to step S408 in FIG. 4A, in which the season window iscalculated assuming the plant variety is planted using the plantingnursery stock planting method. The planting nursery stock plantingmethod means that plants (as opposed to seeds) are planted outdoors inthe garden, which is discussed in detail in FIG. 4F. In step S410, thesuitability of the planting nursery stock planting method is determinedand is presented in detail in FIG. 4G. If the planting method issuitable, then the plant variety is deemed to be suitable for use withthe garden plan and the planting nursery stock planting method isselectable as the planting method for this plant variety. The processcontinues to step S412 in which the season window is calculated assumingthe plant variety is planted using the planting seeds outdoors plantingmethod. In step S414, the suitability of the planting seeds outdoorsplanting method is determined. If the selected planting method issuitable, then the plant variety is deemed to be suitable for use withthe garden plan and the planting seeds outdoors planting method isselectable as the planting method for the plant variety. If at theconclusion of step S414 no planting methods were determined to besuitable, then the plant variety is deemed to be unsuitable for use withthe garden plan.

Referring back to step S402, if the user is willing to use the plantingseeds indoors planting method, then the process continues to step S404,in which the season window is calculated under an assumption that theplant variety is planted using the planting seeds indoors plantingmethod, and is presented in detail in FIG. 4D. In step S406, thesuitability of the planting seeds indoors planting method is determined,and is presented in detail in FIG. 4E. If the planting method issuitable, then the plant variety is deemed to be suitable for use withthe garden plan and the planting seeds indoors planting method isselectable as the planting method for the plant variety. The processcontinues to step S408, in which the season window is calculatedassuming the plant variety is planted using the planting nursery stockplanting method. In step S410, the suitability of the planting nurserystock planting method is determined. If the planting method is suitable,then the plant variety is deemed to be suitable for use with the gardenplan and the planting nursery stock planting method is selectable as theplanting method for this plant variety. The process continues to stepS412 in which the season window is calculated assuming the plant varietyis planted using the planting seeds outdoors planting method. In stepS414, the suitability of the planting seeds outdoors planting method isdetermined. If the planting method is suitable, then the plant varietyis deemed to be suitable for use with the garden plan and the plantingnursery stock planting method is selectable as the planting method forthis plant variety. If at the conclusion of step S414 no plantingmethods were determined to be suitable, then the planting variety isdeemed to be unsuitable for use with the garden plan.

Referring now to FIG. 4B, an exemplary process for determining theseason window for the planting seeds outdoors planting method for aselected plant variety is shown. In step S416, the garden plan startdate is set to equal the latter of the start date of the harvest seasonfor which the garden plan is being generated, or the earliest date theuser is willing to plant seeds, which is determined from a garden planparameters obtained from the user in step S200 in FIG. 2. In step S418,the season window is set to equal the garden plan start date plus 365days, establishing an initial date range during which a plant varietymust be planted, grown, and harvested in order to be suitable for thegarden plan. In step S420, the season window is adjusted based on frostconditions, delaying the beginning of the season window or moving up theend of the season window in cases where a plant variety is sensitive tofrost and the climate data indicates a probability that frost willoccur. The details of the frost adjustment are shown in FIG. 5A. In stepS422, the season window is adjusted based on sunlight conditions,delaying the beginning of the season window or moving up the end of theseason window in cases where the hours of daylight are not sufficient tomeet the plant variety's sunlight requirements. The details of thesunlight adjustment are shown in FIG. 5B. In step S424, the seasonwindow is adjusted based on germination temperature requirements,delaying the beginning of the season window in cases where the soiltemperatures are not sufficient to meet the plant variety's germinationrequirements. The details of the germination temperature adjustment areshown in FIG. 5C. In step S426, the season window is adjusted based ongrowth temperature requirements for the plant variety, delaying thebeginning of the season window in cases where the air temperatures arenot sufficient to meet the plant variety's growth temperaturerequirements. The details of the growth temperature adjustment are shownin FIG. 5D. In step S428, the season window is adjusted based on asuitability requirement, subtracting days from the beginning of theseason window in cases where the SUITABILITY %_(REQUIREMENT) specifiedby the user in step S200 is less than 100%. The details of adjustingbased on a suitability requirement adjustment are shown in FIG. 5E.

Referring now to FIG. 4C, an exemplary process for determining thesuitability of the planting seeds outdoors planting method for aselected plant variety is shown. In step S430, if the selected plantvariety belongs to the onion plant category, then it is determined, instep S432, whether the user's geographic location is located between aminimum latitude that the plant can tolerate (LAT_(LOW)) and a maximumlatitude that the plant can tolerate (LAT_(HIGH)). If the user'sgeographic location is not located between LAT_(LOW) and LAT_(HIGH),then the planting seeds outdoors planting method is not suitable forthis plant variety. If the user is located between LAT_(LOW) andLAT_(HIGH), then in step S434, the plant date (D_(PLANT)) value is setto equal to the first day of the season window determined in step S428in FIG. 4B. In step S436, a determination of whether germinationconditions have been met for the plant variety occurs by comparing thesoil temperature requirements of the plant variety to the daily climatenormal high air temperature during the germination period. Thegermination period is defined as D_(PLANT) D_(GERM, HIGH). The soiltemperature requirements are deemed to have if EQ. 1 is satisfied on atleast one day during the germination period.

T_(SOIL,LOW)≦daily climate normal high airtemperature≦T_(SOIL,HIGH)  (EQ. 1)

If the germination conditions have not been met, the planting seedsoutdoors planting method is not suitable for this plant variety. In stepS438, a determination of whether growth conditions have been met occursfor the plant variety by comparing the air temperature requirements ofthe plant variety to the daily climate normal high air temperatureduring the growth period. The growth period is defined as D_(PLANT)D_(MATURITY, HIGH). The air temperature requirements are deemed to havebeen met if a number of days (N), during the growth period, for whichEQ. 2 is satisfied, also satisfies the inequality set forth in EQ. 3.

T_(AIR,LOW)≦daily climate normal high air temperature≦T_(AIR,HIGH)  (EQ.2)

N≧D _(MATURITY,HIGH)*SUITABILITY %_(REQUIREMENT)  (EQ. 3)

If growth conditions have not been met, the planting seeds outdoorsplanting method is not suitable for the selected plant variety.

In step S440, the harvest method for the plant variety is checked. Ifthe harvest method is Range Harvest or Single Harvest, the plantingseeds outdoors planting method is determined to be suitable for theselected plant variety. If the harvest method isHarvest-Till-Temperature, then the process proceeds to step S442 atwhich it is determined whether harvest conditions have been met for theplant variety (i.e., by comparing the harvest temperature requirementsof the plant variety to the daily climate normal high air temperature onthe first day of harvest, defined as D_(PLANT)+D_(MATURITY, LOW). Therequirements are deemed to have been met if EQ. 2 is satisfied, on thefirst day of harvest. If harvest conditions have not been met, theplanting seeds outdoors planting method is not suitable for the selectedplant variety. Otherwise, the planting seeds outdoors planting method issuitable for the selected plant variety.

Referring now to FIG. 4D, an exemplary process for determining theseason window of the planting seeds indoors planting method for theplant variety is shown. In step S444, the garden plan start date is setto equal the latter of the start date of the harvest season for whichthe garden plan is being generated, or the earliest date the user iswilling to plant seeds, which is a garden plan parameter obtained fromthe user in step S200 in FIG. 2. In step S446, the season window is setto equal the garden plan start date plus 365 days, establishing theinitial date range during which a plant variety must be planted, grown,and harvested in order to be suitable for the garden plan. In step S448,the season window is adjusted based on frost conditions, delaying thebeginning of the season window or moving up the end of the season windowin cases where a plant variety is sensitive to frost and the climatedata indicates a probability that frost will occur. The details of frostadjustment are shown in FIG. 5A. In step S450, the season window isadjusted based on sunlight conditions, delaying the beginning of theseason window or moving up the end of the season window in cases wherethe hours of daylight are not sufficient to meet the plant variety'ssunlight requirements. The details of sunlight adjustment are shown inFIG. 5B. In step S452, the season window is adjusted based on growthtemperature requirements, delaying the beginning of the season window incases where the air temperatures are not sufficient to meet the plantvariety's growth temperature requirements. The details of growthtemperature adjustment are shown in FIG. 5D. In step S454, the seasonwindow is adjusted based on the suitability requirement, subtractingdays from the beginning of the season window in cases where theSUITABILITY %_(REQUIREMENT) specified by the user in step S200 is lessthan 100%. The details of adjusting suitability requirements are shownin FIG. 5E.

Referring now to FIG. 4E, an exemplary process for determining thesuitability of the planting seeds indoors planting method for a selectedplant variety is shown. In step S456, if the plant variety belongs tothe onion plant category, then it is determined, in step S458, whetherthe user is located between a minimum latitude that the plant varietycan tolerate (LAT_(LOW)) and a maximum latitude that the plant varietycan tolerate (LAT_(HIGH)). If the user is not located between LAT_(LOW)and LAT_(HIGH), then the planting seeds indoors planting method is notsuitable for the plant variety. If the user is located between LAT_(LOW)and LAT_(HIGH), in step S460, the plant date (D_(PLANT)) value is set toequal to the first day of the adjusted season window determined in stepS454 in FIG. 4D. In step S462, the introduction date (D_(INTRODUCTION))is determined according to EQ. 4.

D _(INTRODUCTION) =D _(PLANT) +D _(TRANSPLANT)  (EQ. 4)

In step S464, it is determined whether growth conditions have been metfor the plant variety by comparing the air temperature requirements ofthe plant variety to the daily climate normal high air temperatureduring which the plant variety is grown outside (D_(OUTSIDE)), alsotermed an outside growth period, which is calculated according to EQ. 5.

D _(OUTSIDE) =D _(INTRODUCTION) +D _(MATURITY,HIGH) −D_(TRANSPLANT)  (EQ. 5)

The requirements are deemed to have been met if a number of days (N)during the outside growth period (D_(OUTSIDE)) satisfying EQ. 2 alsosatisfies EQ. 3. If growth conditions have not been met, the plantingseeds indoors planting method is not suitable for the selected plantvariety. In step S466, the harvest method for the plant variety ischecked. If the harvest method is Range Harvest or Single Harvest, theplanting seeds indoors planting method is suitable for the selectedplant variety. If the harvest method is harvest-till-temperature, thenthe process proceeds to step S468 at which a determination of whetherharvest conditions have been met for the plant variety is made bycomparing the harvest temperature requirements of the plant variety tothe daily climate normal high air temperature on the first day ofharvest (D_(PLANT)+D_(MATURITY, LOW)). The requirements are deemed tohave been met if EQ. 2 is satisfied on the first day of harvest. Ifharvest conditions have not been met, the planting seeds indoorsplanting method is not suitable for this plant variety. Otherwise, theplanting seeds indoors planting method is suitable for this plantvariety.

Referring now to FIG. 4F, an exemplary process for determining theseason window of the planting nursery stock planting method for aselected plant variety is shown. In step S470, the garden plan startdate is set to equal the latter of the start date of the harvest seasonfor which the garden plan is being generated, or the earliest date theuser would be willing to plant seeds, which is a garden plan parameterobtained from the user in step S200 in FIG. 2. In step S472, the seasonwindow is set to equal the garden plan start date plus 365 days,establishing an initial date range during which a plant variety must beplanted, grown, and harvested in order to be suitable for the gardenplan. In step S474, the season window is adjusted based on frostconditions, delaying the beginning of the season window or moving up theend of the season window in cases where a plant variety is sensitive tofrost and the climate data indicates a probability that frost willoccur. The details of the frost adjustment are shown in FIG. 5A. In stepS476, the season window is adjusted based on sunlight conditions,delaying the beginning of the season window or moving up the end of theseason window in cases where the hours of daylight are not sufficient tomeet the plant variety's sunlight requirements. The details of thesunlight adjustment are shown in FIG. 5B. In step S478, the seasonwindow is adjusted based on the growth temperature requirements,delaying the beginning of the season window in cases where the airtemperatures are not sufficient to meet the plant variety's growthtemperature requirements. The details of the growth temperatureadjustment are shown in FIG. 5D. In step S480, the season window isadjusted based on the suitability allowance, subtracting days from thebeginning of the season window in cases where the SUITABILITY%_(REQUIREMENT) specified by the user in step S200 is less than 100%.The details of the suitability requirement adjustment are shown in FIG.5E.

Referring now to FIG. 4G, an exemplary process for determining thesuitability of the planting nursery stock planting method for the plantvariety is shown. In step S482, if the plant variety belongs to theonion plant category, then it is determined, in step S484, whether theuser is located between a minimum latitude that the plant can tolerate(LAT_(LOW)) and a maximum latitude that the plant can tolerate(LAT_(HIGH)). If the user is not located between LAT_(LOW) andLAT_(HIGH), then the planting seeds indoors planting method is notsuitable for the selected plant variety. If the user is located betweenLAT_(LOW) and LAT_(HIGH), in step S486, the introduction date(D_(INTRODUCTION)) value is set to equal to the first day of theadjusted season window determined in step S480 on FIG. 4F. In step S488,the plant date (D_(PLANT)) value is determined according to EQ. 6.

D _(PLANT) =D _(INTRODUCTION) −D _(TRANSPLANT)  (EQ. 6)

In step S490, it is determined whether growth conditions have been metfor the plant variety by comparing the air temperature requirements ofthe plant variety to the daily climate normal high air temperatureduring the outside growth period (D_(OUTSIDE)) which is determinedaccording to EQ. 5. The requirements are deemed to have been met if thenumber of days (N) during the outside growth period for which EQ. 2 issatisfied also satisfies EQ. 3. If growth conditions have not been met,the planting nursery stock planting method is not suitable for theselected plant variety. In step S492, the harvest method for the plantvariety is checked. If the harvest method is Range Harvest or SingleHarvest, the planting nursery stock planting method is suitable for theplant variety. If the harvest method is harvest-till-temperature, thenthe process proceeds to step S494 at which it is determined whetherharvest conditions have been met for the plant variety occurs bycomparing the harvest temperature requirements of the plant variety tothe daily climate normal high air temperature on the first day ofharvest (D_(PLANT)+D_(MATURITY), LOW). The requirements are deemed tohave been met if EQ. 2 is satisfied on the first day of harvest. Ifharvest conditions have not been met, the planting nursery stockplanting method is not suitable for the selected plant variety.Otherwise, the planting nursery stock planting method is suitable forthe selected plant variety.

In FIG. 5A, an exemplary process for adjusting the season window basedon frost conditions is shown. The harvest season is determined in stepS500. If the season is spring/summer, then the process proceeds to stepS502, where the frost hardiness of the plant variety is determined. Ifthe plant has a low tolerance for frost (e.g., the frost hardiness islow and a single frost will kill the plant), the season window startdate is set in step S504 to the first date where the frost probabilitymatches the FROST %_(SPRING, LOW) value provided by the user in stepS200 on FIG. 2. Then, in step S506, the season window end date is set tothe first date where the frost probability matches the FROST%_(FALL, LOW) value provided by the user in step S200 on FIG. 2. If theplant variety has a moderate tolerance for frost (e.g., the frosthardiness is moderate and the plant variety can tolerate periodic, lightfrosts), the season window start date is set in step S508 to the firstdate where the frost probability matches the FROST %_(SPRING, MODERATE)value provided by the user in step S200 on FIG. 2. Then, in step S510,the season window end date is set to the first date where the frostprobability matches the FROST %_(FALL, MODERATE) value provided by theuser in step S200 on FIG. 2. Returning back to step S500, if the seasonis fall/winter, then the process proceeds to step S512, where the frosthardiness of the plant variety is determined. If the plant variety has alow tolerance for frost (e.g., the frost hardiness is low and a singlefrost will kill the plant), the season window start date is set in stepS514 to the first date where the frost probability matches the FROST%_(FALL, LOW) value provided by the user in step S200 on FIG. 2. If theplant variety has a moderate tolerance for frost (e.g., the frosthardiness is moderate and the plant can tolerate periodic, lightfrosts), the season window start date is set, in step S516, to the firstdate where the frost probability matches the FROST %_(FALL, MODERATE)value provided by the user in step S200 on FIG. 2.

In FIG. 5B, an exemplary process for adjusting the season window basedon sunlight conditions is shown. In step S18, the hours of sunlight forthe season window start date (determined based on the climate normaldata obtained in step S202 on FIG. 2) are compared to the minimumdaylight hours (H_(MIN)) associated with the plant variety. If the dailyclimate normal hours of sunlight are greater than or equal to H_(MIN),then no adjustment is required to the season window start date and theprocess proceeds to step S526, where the number of hours of sunlight foreach date in the season window are compared to H_(MIN). If any dateexists in the season window where the hours of sunlight is less thanH_(MIN), then in step S528, the season window end date is adjusted tothe first date during which such condition occurs. If no dates exist forwhich the hours of sunlight is less than H_(MIN), then no adjustment isrequired to the season window end date.

Returning back to step S518, if the hours of sunlight occurring duringthe season window start date are less than H_(MIN), then all dates inthe season window are checked in step S520 to determine if any dateexists where the hours of sunlight are greater than or equal to H_(MIN).If not, then the season window end date in step S522 is set to equal theseason window start date. If one or more dates do exist in the seasonwindow where the hours of sunlight are greater than or equal to H_(MIN),then the season window start date is adjusted tot eh first date duringwhich such condition occurs, and the process proceeds to step S526, inwhich the hours of sunlight occurring on each date in the season windoware compared to H_(MIN). If any date exists in the season window wherethe hours of sunlight is less than H_(MIN), then in step S528, theseason window end date is set to the first date when such conditionoccurs. If no dates exist (i.e., where the hours of sunlight is lessthan H_(MIN)), then no adjustment is required to the season window enddate.

In FIG. 5C, an exemplary process for adjusting the season window basedon germination temperature requirements is shown. In step S530, thedaily climate normal high air temperature is compared to the low andhigh germination temperature requirements of the plant variety(T_(SOIL, LOW) and T_(SOIL, HIGH)). No adjustment is required to theseason window start date if EQ. 1 is satisfied. If climate normal highair temperature is greater than T_(SOIL, HIGH) or less thanT_(SOIL, LOW), then the process proceeds to step S532 where all dates inthe season window are checked to determine if any date satisfies EQ. 15.If no dates exist where EQ. 1 is satisfied, then the season window enddate is set to equal the season window start date in step S34. If one ormore dates exist where EQ. 1 is satisfied, then in step S536, the seasonwindow start date is set to the first date in the season window at whichsuch condition is met.

In FIG. 5D, an exemplary process for adjusting the season window basedon growth temperature requirements is shown. In step S538, the dailyclimate normal high air temperature is compared to the low and high airtemperature requirements of the plant variety (T_(AIR, LOW) andT_(AIR, HIGH)). If EQ. 2 is satisfied, then no adjustment is requiredfor the season window start date. If the daily climate normal high airtemperature is greater than T_(AIR, HIGH) or is less than T_(AIR, LOW),then the process proceeds to step S540 where all dates in the seasonwindow are checked to determine if any date exists for which EQ. 16 issatisfied. If no dates exist for which EQ. 2 is satisfied, then theseason window end date is set to equal the season window start date instep S542. If one or more dates exist for which EQ. 3 is satisfied, thenin step S544, the planting method is checked. If the planting method isplanting seeds outdoors, then in step S548, the season window start dateis set to the latter of the first date during which EQ. 3 is satisfied,or the season window start date from step S424 on FIG. 4B. If theplanting method is not planting seeds outdoors, then in steps S546, theseason window start date is set to the first date in the season windowduring which EQ. 16 is satisfied.

In FIG. 5E, an exemplary process for adjusting the season window basedon suitability requirements is shown. The suitability allowance iscalculated in step S550 by multiplying D_(MATURITY, HIGH) (a plantingvariable indicating a high value for days to maturity for the selectedplant variety) by the SUITABILITY %_(REQUIREMENT). In step S552, theplanting method is checked. If the method is not planting seedsoutdoors, then in step S554, the suitability allowance is subtractedfrom the season window start date. If the planting method is plantingseeds outdoors, then the season window start date is set to the latterof season window start date less the suitability allowance) or theseason window start date determined from step S436 in FIG. 4C.

Subsequently, the process continues with selecting plant varieties.Referring back to step S212 in FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the userselects one or more plant varieties to include in the garden plan. Inanother embodiment, the user edits attributes of existing plantvarieties in order to create personalized, custom versions of thesevarieties for use in the garden plan. In another embodiment, users addtheir own custom plant varieties and manually specify each attribute(for the custom plant variety) used in generating a garden plan. In yetanother embodiment, a plant profile page for one or more plant varietiesincluding information about the plant varieties including, but notlimited to: planting characteristics; climate requirements; plantinginstructions; maintenance instructions; harvest instructions; size andweight; co-planting material; insects and diseases affecting the plantvariety; and good and bad companion plant varieties for the plantvariety is presented to the user.

For each plant variety selected in step S212, the user chooses aplanting method from the list of suitable planting methods for the plantvariety. If the planting nursery stock planting method is chosen, theuser provides the estimated age of the nursery stock plant (e.g., basedon a number of days). Also in step S212, the user chooses a desirednumber of servings per week, for each selected plant variety, during theharvest season. Servings are specifiable in whole quantities. A servingsize (e.g., 1 cup) is a data element associated with each plant varietyand is presented to the user for reference purposes.

After selecting plant varieties, the process proceeds to step S214 inwhich garden hardware (e.g., garden beds and trellises) available to theuser is specified and defined. In one embodiment, the user defines thegarden hardware using the processes illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B. Inanother embodiment, the user skips the garden hardware definitionprocess, causing the planning software to generate the garden plan anddetermining the garden hardware required in order to support the gardenplan.

Referring now to FIG. 6A, the user adds a new garden bed to the gardenplan, in step S600. In step S602, the user assigns a name and adescription to the garden bed. The name and the description are used toidentify the garden bed in the garden plan when presenting planting,maintenance, or harvest instructions to the user. In step S604, the userspecifies the length and width of the garden bed and a visualrepresentation of the garden bed is presented drawn to scale (where thelength and width of the representation of the garden bed are presentedin proportion to the length and width specified by the user). In stepS606, the user specifies the orientation of the garden bed. In oneembodiment, the user specifies orientation by selecting one of fourdirectional arrows indicating which direction faces north. In anotherembodiment, the user specifies orientation by selecting one of fourdirectional arrows indicating in which direction the sun rises. In yetanother embodiment, the user specifies orientation by selecting one offour directional arrows indicating in which direction the sun sets. Instep S608, the user specifies sunlight patterns affecting each squarefoot (e.g., a planting square) of the garden bed. In one embodiment, theuser makes no changes to the sunlight patterns, causing each square footto retain a sunlight pattern of full sun. In another embodiment, theuser clicks on one or more square feet in the garden bed, causing thesquares to be assigned a sunlight pattern of partial sun. In yet anotherembodiment, the user clicks twice on one or more square feet in thegarden bed, causing the squares to be assigned a sunlight pattern offull shade.

Referring now to FIG. 6B, the user adds a new trellis, in step 610. Instep S612, the user specifies the length of the trellis in linear feet.In step S614, the user specifies whether the trellis is pivotable abouta corner. If the trellis is pivotable, then the planning software willassume that one half the length of the trellis can be placed on one sideof the garden bed, while the other half can be placed on an adjacentside of the garden bed If the trellis cannot pivot a corner, then it isdetermined that the entire length of the trellis is used on one side ofthe garden bed.

Referring back to FIG. 2, a garden plan that produces sufficientquantities of selected plant varieties to meet the user's desiredquantities is generated in step S216. Details for generating the gardenplan are presented in FIG. 7. Generating a garden plan requirescalculating individual planting events, where a required number of seedsare planted using a specified planting method on a specified date. Eachplanting event is evaluated to ensure the germination, growth, andharvest conditions are met as required for the plant variety and harvestmethods associated with the plant variety. If all conditions are met,the planting is added to the plan, and subsequent plantings of the sameplant variety (i.e., succession plantings) are evaluated until theseason window has expired. Calculating succession plantings (e.g.,frequency and timing) ensure that the user will benefit from the longestpossible harvest during the season window.

In step S700, the planning software determines the planting methodchosen by the user for planting each plant variety selected forinclusion in the garden plan. If the planting method is planting seedsoutdoors, then in step S702, the season window is calculated using theprocess described in FIG. 4B. Once the season window has beencalculated, in step S704, the harvest method is checked, and asuccession planting frequency is determined in accordance with Tables 2,3, and 4. In step S706, the date the plant variety is to be planted(D_(PLANT)) is set to the first day of the season window. In step S708,D_(PLANT) is checked to ensure it falls before season end date—if not,the planting is determined to be invalid for the garden plan, and theprocess ends.

If the planting is determined to be valid, the process continues to stepS710, at which it is determined whether germination conditions have beenmet by comparing the soil temperature requirements of the plant varietyto the daily climate normal high air temperature during the germinationperiod (D_(PLANT)+D_(GERM, HIGH)). The requirements are deemed to havebeen met if EQ. 1 is satisfied on at least one day during thegermination period. If germination conditions have not been met, theplanting is determined to be invalid for the garden plan, and in stepS720, the next succession planting date is calculated by adding thesuccession planting frequency (S_(FREQ)) to the planting date(D_(PLANT)). The process then returns to step S708.

If the planting is determined to be valid for the garden plan, theprocess continues to step S712, at which it is determined whether growthconditions have been met by comparing the air temperature requirementsof the plant variety to the daily climate normal high air temperatureduring the growth period (D_(PLANT)+D_(MATURITY, HIGH)). Therequirements are deemed to have been met if a number of days (N) duringthe growth period in which EQ. 2 is satisfied also satisfies EQ. 3. Ifgrowth conditions have not been met, the planting is invalid, and instep S720, the next succession planting date is calculated by adding thesuccession planting frequency (S_(FREQ)) to the planting date(D_(DPLANT)). Then the process returns to step S708.

If the planting is determined to be valid for the garden plan in stepS714, then the harvest method is checked. If the harvest method isharvest-till-temperature, then the process proceeds to step S716 atwhich it is determined whether harvest conditions have been met for theplant variety by comparing the harvest temperature requirements of theplant variety to the daily climate normal high air temperature on thefirst day of harvest (D_(PLANT)+D_(MATURITY, LOW)). The requirements aredeemed to have been met if EQ. 2 is satisfied on the first day of theharvest. If harvest conditions have not been met, the planting isdetermined to be invalid for the garden plan, and in step S720, the nextsuccession planting date is calculated by adding the succession plantingfrequency (S_(FREQ)) to the planting date (D_(PLANT)). Then the processreturns to step S708.

If the planting is determined to be valid for the garden plan, or if theharvest method is not harvest-till-temperature, then the processcontinues to step S718, at which a required number of plantings iscalculated, and the plantings are added to the garden plan. Requiredplantings are calculated as the requested servings per week (a gatheredas user input during step S212 on FIG. 2) divided by the expectedservings per week produced by the plant variety, and then increased bythe loss adjustment percentage (LOSS %). The calculation of expectedservings per week varies based on the harvest method of the plantvariety and is presented in Tables 2, 3, and 4. The process continues tostep S720, at which the next succession planting date is calculated byadding the succession planting frequency (S_(FREQ)) to the planting date(D_(PLANT)). Then the process then returns to step S708.

Referring back to step S700, if the planting method chosen by the userfor the plant variety is planting seeds indoors, then the process issimilar to the process for planting seeds outdoors, with some variation.In step S722, the season window is calculated using the processdescribed with respect to FIG. 4D. Once the season window has beencalculated, then in step S724, the harvest method is checked, and thesuccession planting frequency (S_(FREQ)) associated with the harvestmethod of the plant variety is obtained in accordance with Tables 2, 3,and 4. In step S726, the date the plant variety is to be planted(D_(PLANT)) is set to the first day of the season window. In step S728,the introduction date (D_(INTRODUCTION)), (i.e., the date the plant isto be transplanted outdoors) is calculated as plant date (D_(PLANT))plus Days to Transplant (D_(TRANSPLANT)). In step S730, the plant dateis checked to ensure it falls before a season end date—if it does not,the planting is determined to be invalid for the garden plan, and theprocess ends.

If the planting is determined to be valid with respect to the gardenplan, the process continues to step S732, at which it is determinedwhether growth conditions have been met by comparing the air temperaturerequirements of the plant variety to the daily climate normal high airtemperature during the outside growth period(D_(PLANT)+D_(MATURITY, HIGH)−D_(TRANSPLANT)). The requirements aredeemed to have been met if the number of days (N) during the outsidegrowth period that satisfy EQ. 2 also satisfies EQ. 3. If growthconditions have not been met, the planting is determined to be invalidfor the garden plan, and in step S740, the next succession planting date(D_(PLANT)) and introduction date (D_(INTRODUCTION)) are calculated byadding the succession planting frequency (S_(FREQ)) to the planting date(D_(PLANT)) and introduction date (D_(INTRODUCTION)). Then the processreturns to step S730.

If the planting is determined to be valid for the garden plan, in stepS734, the harvest method is checked. If the harvest method isharvest-till-temperature (HTT), then the process proceeds to step S736,at which it is determined whether harvest conditions have been met forthe plant variety by comparing the harvest temperature requirements ofthe plant variety to the daily climate normal high air temperature onthe first day of harvest (D_(PLANT)+D_(MATURITY, LOW)). The requirementsare deemed to have been met if EQ. 2 is satisfied on the first day ofthe harvest. If harvest conditions have not been met, the planting isdetermined to be invalid for the garden plan, and in step S740, the nextsuccession planting date (D_(PLANT)) and introduction date(D_(INTRODUCTION)) are calculated by adding the succession plantingfrequency (S_(FREQ)) to the planting date (D_(PLANT)) and introductiondate (D_(INTRODUCTION)). Then the process returns to step S730.

If the planting is determined to be valid for the garden plan, or if theharvest method is not harvest-till-temperature, then the processcontinues to step S738, where the required number of plantings iscalculated, and the plantings are added to the garden plan. Requiredplantings are calculated as the requested servings per week (gathered asuser input during step S212 on FIG. 2) divided by the expected servingsper week produced by the plant variety, and then increased by the lossadjustment percentage (LOSS %). The calculation of expected servings perweek varies based on the harvest method of the plant variety and ispresented in Tables 2, 3 and 4. The process continues to step S740,where the next succession planting date (D_(PLANT)) and introductiondate (D_(INTRODUCTION)) are calculated by adding the succession plantingfrequency (S_(FREQ)) to the planting date (D_(PLANT)) and introductiondate (D_(INTRODUCTION)). Then the process returns to step S730.

Referring back to step S700, if the planting method chosen by the userfor the plant variety is planting nursery stock, then the process issimplified with respect to the planting seeds outdoors planting methodor the planting seeds indoors planting method. With the planting nurserystock planting method, succession plantings are not calculated; rather,the garden plan is limited to the original planting for a selected plantvariety. In step S742, the season window is calculated using the processdescribed in FIG. 4F. Once the season window has been calculated, instep S744, the date the plant variety is to be introduced to theoutdoors (D_(INTRODUCTION)) is set to the first day of the seasonwindow. In step S746, the plant date (D_(PLANT)) is calculated accordingto EQ. 6.

The process continues to step S748, at which it is determined whethergrowth conditions have been met by comparing the air temperaturerequirements of the plant variety to the daily climate normal high airtemperature during the outside growth period(D_(PLANT)+D_(MATURITY, HIGH)−D_(TRANSPLANT)). The requirements aredeemed to have been met if a number of days (N) during the outsidegrowth period in which EQ. 2 is satisfied also satisfies EQ. 3. Ifgrowth conditions have not been met, the planting is determined to beinvalid for the garden plan, and the process ends.

If the planting is determined to be valid for the garden plan, in stepS750, the harvest method is checked. If the harvest method isharvest-till-temperature, then the process proceeds to step S752 atwhich it is determined whether harvest conditions have been met for theplant variety by comparing the harvest temperature requirements of theplant variety to the daily climate normal high air temperature on thefirst day of harvest (D_(PLANT)+D_(MATURITY, LOW)). The requirements aredeemed to have been met EQ. 2 is satisfied on the first day of harvest.If harvest conditions have not been met, the planting is determined tobe invalid for the garden plan, and the process ends.

If the planting is determined to be valid for the garden plan, or if theharvest method is not harvest-till-temperature, the process continues tostep S754, where the required number of plantings is calculated, and theplantings are added to the garden plan. Required plantings arecalculated as a number of requested servings per week (gathered as userinput during step S212 in FIG. 2) divided by the expected servings perweek produced by the plant variety, and increased by the loss adjustmentpercentage (LOSS %). The calculation of expected servings per weekvaries based on the harvest method of the plant variety and shown inTables 2, 3 and 4.

Subsequently, placement of each planting in an available location in agarden bed is determined (i.e., step S218 in FIG. 2). If the user didnot define garden hardware in step S214 prior to generating the gardenplan, then an insufficient number of garden beds exception is presentedto the user, and the user is presented with an option to remediate theexception using the exception remediation process described in detailherein below. If the user did define garden hardware, then the plantplacement process begins.

Planting locations are referenced by an address of a square foot sectionof a garden bed (e.g., a planting square). Addresses are assigned toeach garden bed (e.g., at the time the garden bed is defined),referencing each vertical garden bed column using, for example, lettersof the alphabet, starting with “A” and continuing from left to rightuntil all columns have been assigned a letter. Each horizontal gardenbed row is referenced using, for example, numbers, starting with “1” andcontinuing from top to bottom until all rows have been assigned anumber. The combination of a column identifier (i.e., a letter) and arow identifier (i.e., a number) uniquely identifies each square footplanting location. For example, “A-1” represents a leftmost column and atopmost row in the garden bed as presented on a garden bed definitionwebpage. “A-2” represents the leftmost column, and the second row.

When assigning plantings to a planting square location, characteristicsof a selected planting square are evaluated and compared to therequirements of the plant variety. If the characteristics of theplanting square match the requirements of the plant variety, then theplanting square is determined to be suitable for a planting of the plantvariety. If the characteristics of the planting square do not match therequirements of the plant variety, then the planting square isdetermined to be unsuitable for a planting of the plant variety.

In FIG. 8A, a process flow diagram for evaluating planting squarelocations is shown. In step S800, a hemisphere in which the garden planis to be implemented is determined. In step S802, a starting plantingsquare is identified. If the garden plan is to be implemented in thenorthern hemisphere, then a planting square located in the northeastcorner of the garden bed is selected as the starting square. If thegarden plan is in the southern hemisphere, then a planting squarelocated in the southeast corner of the garden bed is selected as thestarting square.

In step S804, a determination is made as to whether the plant varietyrequires a trellis. In step S806, trellis requirements are checked toensure that a planting square is suitable for a trellis. If the plantvariety requires a trellis and the garden plan is to be implemented inthe northern hemisphere, then the planting square must be located on thenorthern or eastern edge of the garden bed to be suitable for plantingthe plant variety. If the plant variety requires a trellis and thegarden plan is to be implemented is in the southern hemisphere, then theplanting square must be located on the southern or eastern edge of thegarden bed to be suitable. If the planting square is not suitable, thenthe process continues to step S830. If the planting square is determinedto be suitable, then the process continues to step S808.

In step S808, sunlight requirements for the plant variety are comparedto the sunlight pattern assigned to the planting square in step S608 ofFIG. 6A. If the sunlight requirement is full sun (SUN_(FS)) and thesunlight pattern assigned to the planting square is full sun, then theplanting square is determined to be suitable for a planting of the plantvariety. If the sunlight requirement is partial shade to full sun(SUN_(PSHADE, FS)) and the sunlight pattern assigned to the plantingsquare is full sun or partial shade, then the planting square isdetermined to be suitable. If the sunlight requirement is shade(SUN_(SHADE)) and the sunlight pattern assigned to the planting squareis full shade, then the planting square is determined to be suitable. Ifnone of the above-noted three conditions are met, then the plantingsquare is determined to be unsuitable and the process continues to stepS830. If the planting square is determined to be suitable, then theprocess continues to step S810.

In step S810, a determination is made as to whether the planting squarecontained, in a predetermined number of preceding years (e.g., thepreceding three years), a plant variety from the same plant family. Ifthe determination in step S810 is positive, then the planting square isdetermined to be unsuitable for a planting of the plant variety and theprocess continues to step S830. Otherwise, the process continues to stepS812.

In step S812, a determination is made as to whether any bad companionplant varieties have been planted in locations adjacent to the plantingsquare being evaluated. Bad companions include plants that have apotential to adversely impact a plant variety being evaluated. If badcompanion plant varieties exist in adjacent planting squares, theplanting square is determined to be unsuitable for the plant variety andthe process continues to step S830. If bad companion plant varieties donot exist in adjacent planting squares, then the process continues tostep S814.

In step S814, a number of available planting squares adjacent to theplanting square being evaluated is calculated. In order for a plantingsquare to be available, no planting may exist in the planting square andthe planting square must not be reserved for a planting during theentire germination, growth, and harvest phase of the plant variety beingevaluated for placement in the planting square. In step S816, adetermination is made as to whether the planting square is a cornerplanting square. If the planting square is a corner planting square,then in step S818, the number of available adjacent squares is increasedby 5 to account for space outside of the garden bed. In step S820, adetermination is made as to whether the planting square is an edgeplanting square (i.e., located along the edge of a garden bed, but notin the corner of the garden bed). If the planting square is an edgeplanting square, then in step S822, the number of available adjacentsquares is increased by 3 to account for space outside the garden bed.In step S824, the total planting squares available for the planting iscalculated as one more than a total number of available adjacentplanting squares.

In step S826, a total number of planting squares available is comparedto the squares per plant (SPP) value assigned to the plant variety. Iftotal number of planting squares available is greater than or equal tothe SPP value, then the planting square is determined to be suitable forthe plant variety, and in step S828, the planting is placed in theplanting square and the adjacent planting squares are marked asreserved. If the planting square is not suitable, then the processcontinues to step S830, where the next available planting square isselected following the order specified in FIG. 8B for garden planslocated in the northern hemisphere, and following the order specified inFIG. 8C for garden plans located in the southern hemisphere. in FIGS. 8Band 8C, rectangles represent a typical garden bed, and each outlinedsquare within the garden bed represents a single planting square. Theletters and numbers outside the shaded squares represent a uniqueidentifier for the planting square. The order in which planting squaresare evaluated is specified by the number contained within each plantingsquare, beginning with 1, and continuing in increments of 1 until allplanting squares have been evaluated. If the user has specified morethan one garden bed, then the planting squares in the first garden beddefined are evaluated first, followed by the planting squares in thesecond garden bed defined, and continuing until all garden beds havebeen evaluated.

The foregoing paragraphs describe an exemplary process by which a singleplanting is evaluated for placement within a planting square. Theprocess by which plantings are selected for evaluation is included inthe process flow diagram in FIG. 8D. In one embodiment, plant varietiesthat are more difficult to place are placed first, including those withrequiring larger numbers of planting squares, or those containingrestrictions on the planting square in which the planting may be placed.The process begins with step S832, in which the user's preference forconsidering prior season plantings is checked. This preference is agarden plan parameter obtained in step S200 on FIG. 2. If the userindicated a preference to consider prior season plantings, then in stepS834, existing plantings from the prior season that extend into thecurrent season (i.e., overflow plantings) are placed in the garden bedsfor the current season, causing such planting locations to beunavailable during the current season until harvest is complete forthese prior season plantings. If the user did not indicate a preferenceto consider prior season plantings, then the process continues to stepS836.

In step S836, plantings from the current season that require a trellisare attempted to be placed in an available location in the garden bed.When placing trellised plants, plant varieties with the highest squaresper plant value (SPP) are selected first. Plants having a common SPPvalue are ordered by height (H_(MAX)), causing the tallest plants to beselected first. In step S838, a number of planting squares assigned totrellised plants is compared to a length of the trellises specified instep S612 is FIG. 6B. If the length of the specified trellises is lessthan the number of planting squares assigned to trellised plants, thenan insufficient number of trellises exception is generated in step S840,and the user is presented with an option to remediate this exceptionusing the exception remediation process described in detail hereinbelow.

After placing trellised plants, the process continues in step S842 byplacing plant varieties assigned a squares per plant (SPP) value of 9.Within this group of plant varieties, plants are ordered by height(H_(MAX)), causing the tallest plants to be selected first. The processcontinues to step S844 in which plants assigned a squares per plant(SPP) value of 2 are placed. Within this group of plants, plants areordered by height (H_(MAX)), causing the tallest plants to be selectedfirst. Lastly, plants assigned a squares per plant (SPP) value of 1 areselected for placement in step S846. Within this group, plants areordered by height (H_(MAX)), causing the tallest plants to be selectedfirst, then in descending order by plants per square (PPS), causingplants with the lowest plants per square value to be selected first.

In step S848, a determination is made as to whether all plantings wereable to be placed. If not, then an insufficient number of garden bedsexception is generated in step S850. If all plantings were able to beplaced, then in step S852, a determination is made as to whether excessplanting squares exist (i.e., planting squares that do not contain asingle planting during the duration of the harvest season). If excessplanting squares exist, an excess planting squares exception isgenerated in step S854. If either exception message was generated, thenthe user is presented with an option to remediate this exception usingthe exception remediation process described in detail hereinbelow.

Following generation of the garden plan and placement of the plantings,in cases where any of the above-noted exception messages were generated(e.g., insufficient number of garden beds, insufficient number oftrellises, excess planting squares), remediation options are presentedto the user in step S220 on FIG. 2. Remediation options for insufficientnumber of garden beds include, for example, purchasing additional gardenbeds from an entity implementing the planning software, reducing thenumber of weekly servings desired, or having the user supply their owngarden beds. In one embodiment, the user chooses to purchase garden bedsfrom an entity implementing the planning software or supply their owngarden beds. In this case, the user defines the garden beds according tothe process defined in FIG. 6A. Once this process is complete, theprocess for placing plants is repeated according to FIG. 8D. Ifadditional exception messages are generated, the exception remediationprocess repeats until all exceptions are eliminated. In anotherembodiment, the user chooses to reduce the number of weekly servingsdesired for one or more plant varieties. After the user has finishedreducing weekly servings desired, the garden plan is regeneratedaccording to the process shown in FIG. 7, and the process for placingplants is repeated according to the process shown in FIG. 8D. If allplantings are able to be placed, a message is presented to the userinforming the user that sufficient garden beds exist. If one or moreplantings are unable to be placed, a message is presented to the userinforming the user that insufficient garden beds exist. The user maycontinue to reduce desired weekly servings, or the user may choose toproceed with a different remediation option.

Remediation options for insufficient number of trellises include, forexample, purchasing additional trellises from an entity implementing theplanning software, reducing the number of servings desired, or havingthe user supply their own trellises. In one embodiment, the user choosesto purchase trellises from the entity. In such case, the user definesthe trellises according to the process defined on FIG. 6B. Once thisprocess is complete, the process for placing plants is repeatedaccording to the process in FIG. 8D. If additional exception messagesare generated, the exception remediation process repeats until allexceptions are addressed. In another embodiment, the user chooses tosupply their own trellises. In such case, a trellis containing therequired number of linear feet is added to the user's list of trellises.In yet another embodiment, the user chooses to reduce the number ofweekly servings desired for one or more plant varieties. After the userhas finished reducing weekly servings desired, the garden plan isregenerated according to the process shown in FIG. 7, and the processfor placing plants is repeated according to the process shown in FIG.8D. If all plantings are able to be placed, a message is presented tothe user informing the user that sufficient trellises exist. If one ormore plantings are unable to be placed, a message is presented to theuser informing the user that insufficient trellises exist. The user maycontinue to reduce desired weekly servings, or the user may choose toproceed with a different remediation option.

Remediation options for excess planting squares include, for example,increasing desired weekly servings, or ignoring the exception andcontinuing to implement the garden plan as is. In one embodiment, theuser chooses to ignore the exception and continue with the garden plan,causing the process to continue to step S222 in FIG. 2. In anotherembodiment, the user chooses to increase the number of weekly servingsdesired for one or more plant varieties. After the user has increased adesired number of weekly servings, the garden plan is re-generatedaccording to FIG. 7, and the process for placing plants is repeatedaccording to the process shown in FIG. 8D. If all plantings are able tobe placed, a message is presented to the user informing the user thatsufficient garden beds exist. If one or more plantings are unable to beplaced, a message is presented to the user informing the user thatinsufficient garden beds exist. The user may choose to reduce a desirednumber of weekly servings for one or more plant variety, or the user maychoose to proceed with a different remediation option.

After remediating exceptions, in step S222 on FIG. 2, a list of seedsrequired by the garden plan is presented to the user. In one embodiment,the user chooses to purchase one or more packages of seeds from theentity, causing the seed packages to be added to an online shopping cartfor the user. In another embodiment, the user already has the requiredquantity of seeds and does not to purchase the seeds.

Referring to step S224 of FIG. 2, the garden plan is presented to theuser. In one embodiment, a weekly task list view assists users to managetasks associated with the garden plan for a selected week. In FIG. 9A,an exemplary weekly task list view of a garden plan is shown. The taskspresented as part of the task view are indicatable as being completed.In one embodiment, there are three categories of tasks: planting tasks,maintenance tasks, and harvesting tasks.

Planting tasks are triggered on the date that the planting occurs,including both planting seeds indoors, as well as planting seeds ornursery stock outdoors. Plantings for the selected week appear on thetask view for the week. In one embodiment, when generating reminders toplant seeds, tasks are generated to use any co-planting material for theseed being planted.

Maintenance tasks are specific to each plant variety. Some plants haveconditions which require monitoring in order to protect a harvest. Forexample, a user may have to pinch off the flowers from, for example,basil leaves in order to ensure that the plant continues to grow. In oneembodiment, maintenance reminders appear on the weekly task list forevery plant that is in a growth phase during a time period for which thetask list is displayed. The growth phase is specified as any date whichis greater than or equal to Days to Germination Low (D_(GERM, LOW)) andless than Days to Maturity Low (D_(MATURITY, LOW)).

Harvest tasks are presented on the weekly task list for every plant thatis in the harvest phase during the period for which the task list isdisplayed. The harvest phase is specified as any date which is greaterthan or equal to Days to Maturity Low (D_(MATURITY, LOW)) and less thanor equal to Days to Maturity High (D_(MATURITY, HIGH)). Harvest tasksprovide the user with instructions for harvesting produce from thegarden.

In another embodiment, the garden plan is presented in a garden layoutview, which provides a graphical representation, as of a specified date,of a garden bed layout, along with an indication the plant varietyplanted in each planting square. In FIG. 9B, an exemplary garden layoutview of a garden plan is shown. In yet another embodiment, the gardenplan is presented as a harvest timeline. In FIG. 9C, an exemplaryharvest timeline of a garden plan is shown. The harvest view is similarto a Gantt chart for a project plan and displays a row for each uniqueplanting square and plant variety combination. Accordingly, the user isprovided with a view of expected harvest dates. In another embodiment,the garden plan is presented as a garden journal, providing the userwith detailed planting, maintenance, and harvest instructions for eachplanting included in the garden plan. FIG. 9D shows an exemplary view ofthe garden journal planting record; FIG. 9E shows an exemplary view ofthe garden journal maintenance record; and FIG. 9F shows an exemplaryview of the garden journal harvest record.

In step S226 on FIG. 2, the user manages the garden plan and optionallymakes changes to the garden plan including any of the following, but notlimited to: changing the date of a planting; changing the date of aharvest; changing a plant variety of a planting; changing the locationof a planting; eliminating a planting; adding a planting (e.g., if pestsdestroyed a plant); adding garden hardware; and eliminating gardenhardware. If a user requested change causes a planting square evaluationcriteria to be violated (e.g., planting bad companions next to eachother), then the user is presented with a warning as to the priorityrule being violated and is requested to confirm their selection beforeproceeding. When the user requests a change, the garden plan isrecalculated for future plantings according to FIG. 7. Plantings placedprior to the date of recalculation are not updated. When garden plansexist for future seasons, and when changes are made to the currentgarden plan that cause the dates to change, then the garden plans forthe future season are marked for recalculation when such plans include auser preference for including prior season plantings. In one embodiment,when the user opens the future garden plan, he or she is presented witha warning message indicating that the garden plan is no longer valid andmust be recalculated. Recalculation causes future plantings to berevisited to ensure that planting dates are still appropriate as aresult of the user requested change.

As set forth above, the system includes a vendor directory thatfacilitates purchase of high quality soil products in a user's localmarket, for example, compost, manure, straw, vermiculite, and peat moss.Manure, vermiculite and peat moss are typically available from gardencenters. In one embodiment, the vendor directory also includesinformation regarding vendors that install garden bed hardware. In oneembodiment, the vendor directory is searchable using a zip code, and thezip code defaults to a user's zip code. Search results of specifiedvendors in the vendor directory are displayable in a list format showingthe distance from the user's home address and in one embodiment, includedriving directions. In another embodiment, search results aredisplayable on a map. Specified products are searchable using a searchengine-styled search, as well as searchable using a directory browsingmethod.

Contact details are provided for each vendor in the vendor directory ina vendor profile. Vendor profile information includes any of thefollowing, but not limited to: business name, contact name, address,telephone number, email address, website address, hours of operation,general description and product profiles (including, for example, imagesand descriptions of products). Accordingly, a user is enabled to contacta vendor via email, telephone and postal mail. In one embodiment, usercontact data (e.g., a number of times users have viewed contactinformation for a specified vendor) is recorded and archived toincentivize the vendor to purchase a subscription for inclusion in thevendor directory.

Although the disclosure has been described with reference to severalexemplary embodiments, it is understood that the words that have beenused are words of description and illustration, rather than words oflimitation. Changes may be made within the purview of the appendedclaims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from thescope and spirit of the disclosure in its aspects. Although thedisclosure has been described with reference to means, materials andembodiments, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the sdisclosured; rather the disclosure extends to all functionallyequivalent structures, methods, and uses such as are within the scope ofthe appended claims.

For example, although the description herein references multipleindividual computers, local area networks and application servers, thedescriptions herein would be applicable to subsequent or equivalentsystems in which multiple or even all applications are provided by oneor more application servers in a cloud environment provided by a thirdparty. Similarly, the descriptions herein would be applicable tosubsequent or equivalent systems in which individuals in an entity aredistributed worldwide and each of the applications described herein isprovided by one or more than one centralized application servers.

While a computer-readable medium herein may be shown to be a singlemedium, the term “computer-readable medium” includes a single medium ormultiple media, such as a centralized or distributed database, and/orassociated caches and servers that store one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall also include anymedium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set ofinstructions for execution by a processor or that cause a computersystem to perform any one or more of the methods or operationsdisclosured herein.

In a non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, the computer-readable mediumcan include a solid-state memory such as a memory card or other packagethat houses one or more non-volatile read-only memories. Further, thecomputer-readable medium can be a random access memory or other volatilere-writable memory. Additionally, the computer-readable medium caninclude a magneto-optical or optical medium, such as a disk or tapes orother storage device to capture carrier wave signals such as a signalcommunicated over a transmission medium. Accordingly, the disclosure isconsidered to include any computer-readable medium or other equivalentsand successor media, in which data or instructions may be stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsthat may be implemented in embodiments with reference to standards andprotocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. For example, standards for power over ethernet represent anexample of the state of the art. Such standards are periodicallysuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocolshaving the same or similar functions are considered equivalents thereof.

The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of the variousembodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a completedescription of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systemsthat utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many otherembodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewingthe disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from thedisclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may notbe drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may beexaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly, thedisclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative ratherthan restrictive.

One or more embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to herein,individually and/or collectively, by the term “disclosure” merely forconvenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of thisapplication to any disclosure or inventive concept. Moreover, althoughspecific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, itshould be appreciated that any subsequent arrangement designed toachieve the same or similar purpose may be substituted for the specificembodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and allsubsequent adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the description.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R.§1.72(b) and is submitted with the understanding that it will not beused to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Inaddition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, various features may begrouped together or described in a single embodiment for the purpose ofstreamlining the disclosure. This disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter may be directed toless than all of the features of any of the disclosured embodiments.Thus, the following claims are incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as defining separatelyclaimed subject matter.

The above disclosured subject matter is to be considered illustrative,and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover allsuch modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments which fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, to themaximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present disclosure is tobe determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of thefollowing claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted orlimited by the foregoing detailed description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for generating a plan facilitating usersto plant, grow, harvest and maintain selected plant varieties,comprising: receiving, via at least one processor, user inputcorresponding to at least one of: the selected plant varieties, desiredservings of the selected plant varieties, geographic information for theuser and available gardening hardware; determining, via the at least oneprocessor, quantities of the selected plant varieties to plant, alocation layout for planting each of the selected plant varieties andplant care tasks associated with each of the selected plant varieties;and graphically presenting, via the at least one processor, the locationlayout and the plant care tasks associated with each of the selectedplant varieties to the user.
 2. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe geographic information comprises at least one of: a postal code, alatitude, a longitude and a mailing address.
 3. The method according toclaim 1, further comprising: retrieving frost dates based on thegeographic information.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein thequantities of the selected plant varieties account for an estimated losspercentage, and wherein the estimated loss percentage is estimated basedon weather, loss due to pests and loss due to plant disease.
 5. Themethod according to claim 1, further comprising: displaying a pluralityof plant varieties to the user, from which the selected plant varietiesare chosen, the plurality of plant varieties being chosen based on thegeographic information and a current date.
 6. The method according toclaim 1, further comprising: calculating a frequency for successionplantings over a current harvest period.
 7. The method according toclaim 1, further comprising: obtaining information related to whetherthe user is willing to transplant plants from indoor to outdoor.
 8. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the layout is based at least oneof: a determination of which plant varieties to plant proximate to oneanother, a determination of which plant varieties to plant distant fromone another, trellis requirements for each of the selected plantvarieties, height of each of the selected plant varieties, waterrequirements for each of the selected plant varieties and sunlightrequirements for each of the selected plant varieties.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising: presenting the user with anoption to purchase additional gardening hardware when gardening hardwarerequirements for producing the desired servings of the selected plantvarieties exceed the available gardening hardware.
 10. The methodaccording to claim 6, wherein dates for succession plantings and afrequency of succession plantings are based on a season window, andwherein the season window is based on an earliest planting date, alatest maturity date and a calculated number of available growth days.11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plant care taskscomprise at least one of: planting seeds outdoors, planting a plant fromnursery stock, planting a plant grown from seeds sown indoors,harvesting plants, watering plants and pruning plants.
 12. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising: displaying the plant caretasks according to dates on which the plant care tasks are to beperformed.
 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein planting datesfor planting the selected plant varieties are determined based on: frosthardiness, current harvest season and whether planting from seed,planting from nursery stock or planting from seeds sown indoors.
 14. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the layout is based on a plantingsquare division of a garden bed.
 15. The method according to claim 14,wherein a representation of a quantity of sunlight and a representationof a quantity of shade is displayed for each planting square of thegarden bed.
 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the user isenabled to at least one of: assign and edit the representation of thequantity of sunlight and the representation of the quantity of shade foreach planting square of the garden bed.
 17. The method according toclaim 12, further comprising: modifying the plan when one of the plantcare tasks is not performed on a date on which the plant care task is tobe performed.
 18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the plantingdates are further based on air temperatures for at least one of: seedgermination date and frost dates.
 19. The method according to claim 1,wherein a recommended garden bed size is presented to the user based onthe desired servings of the selected plant varieties.
 20. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein plant seed catalogs from a plurality ofvendors are supported.
 21. The method according to claim 1, wherein theuser is enabled to purchase seeds for at least one of the selected plantvarieties via a website interface.
 22. The method according to claim 1,wherein the user is enabled to manually enter a desired plant variety.23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: archiving plansfor at least one prior harvest season to determine whether crop cyclingat a location is to be implemented.
 24. A system for generating a planfacilitating users to plant, grow, harvest and maintain selected plantvarieties, comprising: a receiver that receives user input correspondingto at least one of: the selected plant varieties, desired servings ofthe selected plant varieties, geographic information for the user andavailable gardening hardware; a determiner that determines quantities ofthe selected plant varieties to plant, a location layout for plantingeach of the selected plant varieties and plant care tasks associatedwith each of the selected plant varieties; and a presenter thatgraphically presents the location layout and the plant care tasksassociated with each of the selected plant varieties to the user.
 25. Anon-transitory, tangible computer readable medium for generating a planfacilitating users to plant, grow, harvest and maintain selected plantvarieties, the medium comprising: a receiving code segment, recorded onthe tangible computer readable medium, that receives user inputcorresponding to at least one of: the selected plant varieties, desiredservings of the selected plant varieties, geographic information for theuser and available gardening hardware; a determining code segment,recorded on the tangible computer readable medium, that determinesquantities of the selected plant varieties to plant, a location layoutfor planting each of the selected plant varieties and plant care tasksassociated with each of the selected plant varieties; and a presentingcode segment, recorded on the tangible computer readable medium, thatgraphically presents the location layout and the plant care tasksassociated with each of the selected plant varieties to the user. 26.The non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium according to claim25, wherein a harvest season associated with the plan is defined byeither a time period of increasing temperature that excludes short-termdirectional changes in temperature or a time period of decreasingtemperature that excludes short-term directional changes in temperature.27. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium according toclaim 25, wherein the user is enabled to manually edit a supported plantvariety.
 28. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable mediumaccording to claim 24, wherein the location layout is based on anorientation of a garden bed associated with the plan.
 29. Thenon-transitory, tangible computer readable medium according to claim 28,wherein the orientation of the garden bed is specified by the user basedon at least one of: graphically presented directional arrows and ageographic reference, and wherein the geographic reference comprises atleast one of: a north, south, east, west, sunrise and sunset direction.30. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium according toclaim 25, wherein the presenting code segment further presents harvestinstructions for each of the selected plant varieties.
 31. Thenon-transitory, tangible computer readable medium according to claim 30,wherein the harvest instructions are based on a harvest interval foreach of the selected plant varieties.
 32. The non-transitory, tangiblecomputer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the harvestinterval specifies a frequency of harvesting.
 33. The non-transitory,tangible computer readable medium according to claim 28, wherein thelayout location for each of the selected plant varieties is specifiedbased on at least one planting square in the garden bed.
 34. Thenon-transitory, tangible computer readable medium according to claim 28,wherein at least one planting square in the garden bed is evaluated todetermine the location layout for each of the selected plant varieties.35. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium according toclaim 34, wherein the at least one planting square is evaluated based onwhether plants planted in the at least one planting square during apredetermined time period are members of a common taxonomy family withat least one of the selected plant varieties.
 36. The non-transitory,tangible computer readable medium according to claim 34, wherein the atleast one planting square is evaluated based on crop rotation.
 37. Amethod for generating a plan facilitating users to plant, grow, harvestand maintain selected plant varieties, the method comprising:determining, by at least one processor, a level of suitability of aspecified planting method for a specified plant variety based on atleast one of: whether the specified plant variety is transplantable,whether a user is willing to plant seeds indoors for the specified plantvariety and a season window for the specified planting method, whereinthe specified planting method comprises at least one of planting seedsindoors, planting nursery stock, planting seeds outdoors.
 38. The methodaccording to claim 37, wherein the season window is a range of datesspecifying a subset of a harvest season during which conditions areattained such that at least one plant of the specified plant varietygrows.
 39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the season windowis adjusted based on at least one of: germination temperaturerequirements for the specified plant variety, growth temperaturerequirements for the specified plant variety, frost conditions for auser location and sunlight conditions for the user location.
 40. Themethod according to claim 38, wherein the season window is adjustedfurther based on a suitability requirement defined by the user.
 41. Themethod according to claim 40, wherein the suitability requirementspecifies at least one of: a time period in the season window and apercentage of the season window during which air temperatures are withina tolerable range for supporting plant growth for the specified plantvariety.
 42. The method according to claim 37, further comprising:determining, by the at least one processor, whether a plant categoryassociated with the specified plant variety is an onion category;determining, by the at least one processor, whether a user location islocated between a lower limit latitude and an upper limit latitude whenthe plant category is the onion category; and determining, by the atleast one processor, that the specified planting method is not suitablebased on the user location.
 43. The method according to claim 37,wherein the level of suitability of the specified planting method is abinary determination.
 44. The method according to claim 37, wherein thelevel of suitability of the specified planting method is specifiable asone of at least three levels of suitability.